It is often desired to display multimedia programs or shows in a room using a video projector. Typically, the presenter's laptop computer or other source of multimedia is connected to the video projector to send the multimedia to the projector for display on a screen in the room.
As recognized herein, to save table space and to increase people's mobility and viewing lines in the room, it may be desirable to mount the projector on the ceiling, out of the way but nonetheless oriented to project the video onto the screen. The present invention further understands, however, that while power cabling exists in most ceilings, data transmission lines often do not. As a consequence, the present invention understands that wireless communication of the multimedia from the laptop or other source to a ceiling-mounted projector would be advantageous.
The present invention further understands, however, that not just any wireless transmission system will do. Specifically, if a wireless link such as IEEE 802.11(b) is used that has a bandwidth which is insufficient to carry either compressed or uncompressed multimedia such as uncompressed high definition (HD) video, compressed multimedia standard definition (SD) video would have to be transmitted, requiring a relatively expensive decompression module at the projector. Some links such as IEEE 802.11(a) do have a bandwidth high enough to carry compressed HD vide but not uncompressed SD or HD video. Also, in the case of 802.11(a) copyright protection may be implicated because the link is sufficiently long range (extending beyond the room in which it originates) that it can be detected beyond the immediate location of the transmitting laptop. With this in mind, the present invention recognizes the need for a very short range, preferably directional, high bandwidth wireless link that is particularly suited for the short range wireless communication of uncompressed multimedia, particularly the rather voluminous genre of multimedia known as HD video.